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EddieM
Yes, my reply was to ericmark regarding driverless trains, I was merely pointing out that we've had them for years. If TfL had their way the entire London tube system would have been driverless by now, but the RMT said no.
Driver less cars, does this mean I will not need a driving licence?
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Yes, my reply was to ericmark regarding driverless trains, I was merely pointing out that we've had them for years. If TfL had their way the entire London tube system would have been driverless by now, but the RMT said no.
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E
EddieM
Yes, my reply was to ericmark regarding driverless trains, I was merely pointing out that we've had them for years. If TfL had their way the entire London tube system would have been driverless by now, but the RMT said no.
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Simple and straight forward does not seem to be an option now, we're being sold overly complex cars that will not be able to be fixed independently nd will be too expensive to repair by the dealer so you have to buy a new one and only keep it until the warranty runs out.
I hate our new Mercedes GLA, it is as though they have removed the pleasure of driving. I much prefer my 12 year old van which I do enjoy driving, if I am going some where by myself I use the van.
I think Audi found a good compromise in 2007/2011.
I have one with cruise control, distance regulation so you set the speed and if the car in front slows down, yours slows down too.
If it gets to a sudden stop it bips and flashes red, so you know something it's happening and even if asleep you'll instinctively brake.
Lane assist can be turned off.
Frankly I don't like it and never use it.
Best part I think it's that you can get to a specific speed (i.e. 43mph) and set the cruise control.
Older ones go in 5mph increments.
Big brakes, good suspensions and good stability add up to this.
Then of course some fools fit chinese reconditioned tyres which make all of this useless.
I have one with cruise control, distance regulation so you set the speed and if the car in front slows down, yours slows down too.
If it gets to a sudden stop it bips and flashes red, so you know something it's happening and even if asleep you'll instinctively brake.
Lane assist can be turned off.
Frankly I don't like it and never use it.
Best part I think it's that you can get to a specific speed (i.e. 43mph) and set the cruise control.
Older ones go in 5mph increments.
Big brakes, good suspensions and good stability add up to this.
Then of course some fools fit chinese reconditioned tyres which make all of this useless.
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For me, driverless cars can't come soon enough on the motorways. Surely it's just an extension of smart motorways, where cars are largely "controlled" by cameras, sensors and speed limits which can see the bigger picture. I know they are starting to address tailgating (currently via warning letters to offenders) and no doubt will start on "lane swappers" and "middle lane hoggers" next. With all that in place it's not much of a step for the computer to start addressing individual drivers: "you're going too fast", or "too slow" or "you need to change lane", or "would you like to go in this lane and I'll do it all for you and you'll arrive 20 minutes sooner?"
Just think, no speeding maniacs in BMW's and Audi's crashing, no lorries causing 3 mile tailbacks because they've decided to try and crawl past another lorry because their limiter gives them an extra 0.5mph, no sleepy idiots blocking the middle lane while people fly past on the inside.
Just think, no speeding maniacs in BMW's and Audi's crashing, no lorries causing 3 mile tailbacks because they've decided to try and crawl past another lorry because their limiter gives them an extra 0.5mph, no sleepy idiots blocking the middle lane while people fly past on the inside.
On some motorways it's inevitable for cars to avoid the left lane.
There are dips in the road left by hgv which make cars (shorter axle) swerve constantly.
Try the M3 southbound.
There are dips in the road left by hgv which make cars (shorter axle) swerve constantly.
Try the M3 southbound.
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smart motorways haven't worked out that well so far.
they have had quite an impact in some places.
We have two cars, a 22 year old BMW E39 that is a daily driver & a 33 year old Range Rover, both petrol automatics. Being retired our annual mileage is low, especially for the RR.
The BM was an advanced product in period whereas the RR is virtually stone-age compared to today's cars, but driving either of them puts a smile on my face every time
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I would agree there is both an art and some fun driving old cars, I have never driven a car where the driver set the advance and ******, and the third brush on the dynamo, or where the valve gear needs notching back to save steam, have driven with two speed back axle and got it wrong and prayed the brakes would hold me when stuck between high and low, and drive with a crash box where you needed to double de-clutch, but not had to judge the blur on the cogs when changing gear on a traction engine.
I do remember early cars with no synchromesh on first gear, and the hand signals for turning left and slowing down.
I have driven a Wilson epicyclic gear box, both as pre-select and air select, and tried putting it into D which simply opens the door on the bus, gear stick had R, D, 1, 2, 3, and 4 no clutch. Also the old 3 speed automatic with torque converter and also those with just a fluid flywheel, and there is a huge advantage with today's 8 speed automatic gear box with sports, normal, and eco modes.
My old Kia Sorento with a diesel engine and 5 speed box plus high and low range, one plays a tune with gear box, but old Honda Jazz petrol also 5 speed one sits in top most of the time, as to the Leyland Landtrain I drove with 24 speeds that was getting silly, when the 769 CAT I drove had a 12 speed gear box and all you did was select highest gear you wanted it to use, and it carried more than the Landtrain. And built around the same time.
OK maybe not cab happy but when we had one of these in the yard
I had to give it a go, 8 wheel drive and 8 wheel steer, not easiest to drive on Algerian roads. But in the main I want driving made easy, put it in drive, and one foot for go and stop. At 25 I enjoyed taking the pipe carrier out, today too much like hard work, yes would love a foot plate ride on a railway engine but stoking it is another story.
I do remember early cars with no synchromesh on first gear, and the hand signals for turning left and slowing down.
I have driven a Wilson epicyclic gear box, both as pre-select and air select, and tried putting it into D which simply opens the door on the bus, gear stick had R, D, 1, 2, 3, and 4 no clutch. Also the old 3 speed automatic with torque converter and also those with just a fluid flywheel, and there is a huge advantage with today's 8 speed automatic gear box with sports, normal, and eco modes.
My old Kia Sorento with a diesel engine and 5 speed box plus high and low range, one plays a tune with gear box, but old Honda Jazz petrol also 5 speed one sits in top most of the time, as to the Leyland Landtrain I drove with 24 speeds that was getting silly, when the 769 CAT I drove had a 12 speed gear box and all you did was select highest gear you wanted it to use, and it carried more than the Landtrain. And built around the same time.
OK maybe not cab happy but when we had one of these in the yard
I recall when a day out in the car could involve changing a fan belt. One evening in the New Forest the fan belt on my Ford Pop Sit up and Beg snapped. I asked my young lady passenger if she would donate her stockings for a temporary fix. She recalled seeing a spare fan belt in the boot ( along with a few other spares that could be needed on a journey ) At least I didn't have to buy a new pair of stockings for her.
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I would say biggest road side repair I did was renew a mini clutch. I lived in North Wales, and had travelled to Merionethshire now Gwynedd and the centre broke out of clutch plate. RAC man stopped and said can I help, I said yes can you get me a new clutch plate which he did, and I fitted it, but think road side repairs are rather limited to some thing you can do in ½ an hour.
The fan belt on seddon atkinson wagon we had, a 6 x 6 was given 8 hours to change in the book, we always fitted two and tie wrapped second out of the way, as it was a radiator off job.
The fan belt on seddon atkinson wagon we had, a 6 x 6 was given 8 hours to change in the book, we always fitted two and tie wrapped second out of the way, as it was a radiator off job.
Sounds like I'm not the only old duffer on here!
All this talk of crash, epicyclic, semi-auto & auto 'boxes. For the former I last drove HGV's (38 tonne tankers) at the end of the 'eighties, even then many were still using Fuller 9 or 13 speed boxes that were non-syncro & relied on a clutch brake to achieve clean changes. I returned to the buses in 1991 to experience the latter. My own US built WW2 Dodges & Chev. trucks were of course crash, but I have to disagree with your take on today's vastly complex 6 & 8 speed automatics. I've owned auto. cars for decades & recall a Vauxhall FD Ventora with just a 2 speed Powerglide which coupled to a torquey 3.3L six was all that was ever needed.
I too needed to use hand signals on my first driving test in 1963 & it was undertaken in the pouring rain
All this talk of crash, epicyclic, semi-auto & auto 'boxes. For the former I last drove HGV's (38 tonne tankers) at the end of the 'eighties, even then many were still using Fuller 9 or 13 speed boxes that were non-syncro & relied on a clutch brake to achieve clean changes. I returned to the buses in 1991 to experience the latter. My own US built WW2 Dodges & Chev. trucks were of course crash, but I have to disagree with your take on today's vastly complex 6 & 8 speed automatics. I've owned auto. cars for decades & recall a Vauxhall FD Ventora with just a 2 speed Powerglide which coupled to a torquey 3.3L six was all that was ever needed.
I too needed to use hand signals on my first driving test in 1963 & it was undertaken in the pouring rain
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I also let my HGV licence go, I simply was not using it, and the cost of medicals was not worth it.
The torque converters came as 2:1 to 4:1 and at 4:1 they were rather inefficient, but back then engines were inefficient too, if we got 40 MPG with any car we thought it was very good, 2CV and Relient were exceptions.
To day in spite of cars being heavier with side impact and the like, today few cars do less than 50 MPG, and to get these figures we are forced to use anything to give that little extra MPG, be it stop start or 8 speed gear boxes.
The torque converters came as 2:1 to 4:1 and at 4:1 they were rather inefficient, but back then engines were inefficient too, if we got 40 MPG with any car we thought it was very good, 2CV and Relient were exceptions.
To day in spite of cars being heavier with side impact and the like, today few cars do less than 50 MPG, and to get these figures we are forced to use anything to give that little extra MPG, be it stop start or 8 speed gear boxes.
I also let my HGV licence go, I simply was not using it, and the cost of medicals was not worth it.
I had both HGV class 1 & all groups PSV. Didn't bother renewing in the late 'nineties for the same reasons, plus the forthcoming European 'certificate of competence' which did diddly-squat for driving standards, but enabled many private training organisations to boost their profits
nb. the satisfaction achieved through the ability to make silent gear changes on a crash box (if you were really proficient you could do it without the clutch) is something modern drivers will never experience, or even aspire to.
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